The Art of Living

Do you ever wonder what it would be like to have fewer responsibilities and more time for letting your mind wander? I do. My self control is pretty strong when it comes to limiting the distractions I invite into my life and my family's life. I know that the more I take on, the less time I will have to rest and to be still.

We live in a world run mainly by extroverts; those who compete aggressively for top spot and who can reach the finish line the fastest. This is especially true in the United States and less so in other countries. This type of fast lifestyle doesn't know compassion and is barely aware of kindness. The mentality is one of self-serving and selfishness.

So what's my point here? The idea to set limits for yourself is to know yourself and how many distractions you can allow without becoming overwhelmed. Be honest with yourself and determine at what point it becomes too much for you to handle. Then go back; move your thoughts backward at least three distractions before you reached your breaking point because your mind was already moving toward "enough is enough." Don't allow yourself to be stretched so thin that you lose it. Go back to where you were before you said "enough is enough." Then establish this point as your limit, and do everything in your power not to allow yourself to go beyond this point. You are establishing boundaries for what stuff you invite into your life.

There will be phases in your life when it will be more challenging to establish the amount of distractions that come into your life because that's life. Life will throw disasters, children, financial challenges, loneliness, and depression at you. All of these events bring a large set of distractions that are unavoidable. However, if you know how to establish the ground rules for determining which distractions you let in, you can navigate the life challenges in a simpler way.

Life distractions bring limitations to creativity. Sometimes, when you allow yourself to escape through art, the difficulties in life can go away for a short period of time as the mind wanders only to the creative actions before you. Other times, when you are weary and lonely, it is more difficult to initiate the creative process because quite frankly what you need is sleep, rest, and stillness. This is especially true for introverts and borderline introverts who are forced into living the extrovert's fast paced culture.

Sadly, there really isn't an easy solution to this cultural problem because the culture of a nation is seeded in the majority of the people's style and way of getting things done. The best suggestion is to practice the idea of establishing your own limitations and know yourself so that you will stop unwanted distractions and noise to enter your life. We can each do this for ourselves, and perhaps begin to shift toward a more compassionate and kinder culture that allows for more creativity.

The softness of the wet grass under foot, the warmth of the Earth rising over the meadow as a fragrant mist, and the smell of wet leaves make this time of year a time for gratitude of all living things and our humble homes. It is an enchanted time.